


Stolen Moments

by StolenShield (Olpgurl)



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst with a Happy Ending, Canon Rewrite, F/M, Misunderstandings, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Multiple, Pining, Slow Burn, Vignette
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-01
Updated: 2019-07-16
Packaged: 2020-04-06 01:52:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,809
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19052860
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Olpgurl/pseuds/StolenShield
Summary: Everyone in the world has two soulmates, a platonic and a romantic. When you live in the world of spies, assassins and super heroes, it just makes it even more complicated.Or a rewrite of the MCU where Steve and Natasha are soulmates without changing the plot (much anyways).





	1. Captain America & the Avengers

**Author's Note:**

> So this is just added scenes where they live in a world where everyone has a soulmate. It’s going to follow the plot of all the mcu movies they’re in but just adding a soulmate twist. And a much happier romanogers ending we didn’t get with endgame.

He brushed his thumb across his wrist as if he could feel the difference. He knew it wouldn’t, Buck’s name had always just been there but his second soulmate, the romantic one had always been blurry. With the explosion and the chaos that had ensued he hadn’t had a moment to to process. The room they had put him in, handing him new clothes and larger wristbands finally gave him the time. Natalia Romanov, wherever she was, was his soulmate. The name wasn’t clear like Bucky’s but it wasn’t the illegible blur it had been before the serum. He didn’t believe in fate or destiny but he had to wonder if what he’d let the army do was supposed to happen, if he hadn’t gone through that painful process, he might never have seen the name on his wrist. He had a moment of doubt, if anyone’s name had appeared he’d have hoped for Peggy but it wasn’t to be. The knock startled him, probably the nurse, his blood more important than he was. 

 

*****

 

He’d stopped Red Skull, he’d stopped Hydra so what did it matter if he’d never see home again? Bucky was gone, his name already fading and Natalia was just a an idea. He’d thought, hoped Peggy might become more, the everlasting idea of after the war, after they’d won but that didn’t seem likely. He tried to say goodbye to her, he didn’t have anyone else. The crash jolted him, the ocean rushing in. He wouldn’t have long, the frigid water already affecting his normally too warm body temperature. He closed his eyes, saying a quick prayer and giving an apology to the woman he would never get to meet. 

 

*****

 

She felt the rough hands as he grabbed her arms, suppressing every instinct they had drilled into her to fight back. She calmed her expression, neutral was best, she had broken the rules. “Why were you looking?” the Winter Soldier demanded. “You know what the names mean.”

She scoffed at him, of course she knew, the Red Room had told them often enough. “I like to look at my names, if these men are the most dangerous risk to my life, I should remind myself of that,” she replied. “I know my duty, if I ever meet them, I must kill them immediately. They’ll no doubt want to do the same.”

He appraised her a moment, it took everything in her to remain calm. If he spoke to her superiors, it wouldn’t end well. 

 

*****

 

She was being hunted. He was good, a little too good but she wouldn’t let him catch her. She knew he was watching her, he might have been for some time. She kept herself in public as often as possible, whoever he was seemed determined to avoid her if there were civilians in sight. She was an assassin, she knew to avoid getting boxed in. What she didn’t anticipate was his approach. 

The café didn’t have many windows and the large booths in the rear hid her small frame well. She took a moment to relax, pulling the laptop out to see if her contact had sent her any new targets. The best above the door jingled, she looked up briefly, dismissing the man. It was a mistake, she barely had time to reach for her gun as he sat himself across from her. 

“Hi, I’m Clint,” he said casually. “You got a name?”

Alarms rang in her head as she tensed up. Clint Barton was a name she had memorized years ago. It could have been a coincidence but she couldn’t risk it, she still didn’t know enough about the person tracking her. She slipped out her gun and aimed at him under the table, she needed to see how this would play out. It might be harmless, it wasn’t like she didn’t get her share of obnoxious male attention. “Not interested,” she replied dismissively. 

“And here I thought my dad was an asshole but your parents win,” he grinned. 

She glared at him, hoping he really was just some ass which an over abundance of confidence. He seemed unbothered, taking a sip from his cup. She remained quiet, engaging with them tended to spur those types on. “Hard way it is then,” he sighed. “So do I call you Widow? Black? Spider lady?”

Her finger moved to the trigger, she really couldn’t afford the attention but she was leaving this place alive. He must have noticed something, his hands raising up. “Whoa, I just want to talk,” he said in a rush. “How about a career change?”

 

*****

 

She usually worked out of D.C. but it is wasn’t unusual for her to be called into other SHIELD offices. What was surprising was Nick, he’d left headquarters without a word days ago. She was out of the loop, she understood how he operated but if she was here, it had to be big. He pulled her into the makeshift room, staged in the literal sense. He was unconscious, well built, almost impossibly perfect. “Who is he?” she asked when Nick kept silent. 

“Captain America,” he replied tersely. 

“You do remember I’m Russian?” she teased. “Why am I here? I got a whole other type of propaganda as a child, I don’t know much except he should be dead.”

He moved closer and untied the leather strap around his right wrist. It was somewhat taboo but it wasn’t like she hadn’t done the same thing to marks. Knowing someone’s soulmate, particularly their romantic one if it was unknown was power. Now that she knew the truth, Clint had told her everything that day, she knew most people would do anything for their soulmate. This man had supposedly died in the war, how much could an old woman or man, one who had most likely moved on and married someone else matter? 

If Nick wanted her here, it had to be important, Coulson was the fanboy but maybe that’s exactly why he wasn’t. She didn’t expect to see her own name, her reaction almost nonexistent but he was one of the few people in the world who could read her. “I’ve always wondered if you had one,” he said casually. “I know Barton’s your platonic, it was the only reason I even agreed to meet with you. Why do you think I helped him hide Laura, most of us don’t get that lucky. So seeing one of my agent’s names on this wrist? I need to ask.”

She honestly didn’t know much about him, her education once she had joined SHIELD hadn’t focused much on US history beyond the basics. Her typical targets couldn’t care less how much trivia she could spout. She removed the wrist guard, exposing herself in a way she hadn’t had to do since her days in the Red Room. His whispered ‘fuck’ was answer enough. She looked over the unconscious man again, needing to understand. What little she knew wasn’t about him personally, just that he had been chosen for a super soldier program and was their only success. Many, including the Red Room, had tried but none had ever achieved the same results. He really was the perfect specimen physically, reminding her of the description Clint had given her of the alien god. He was supposed to be a unfailingly honest and had sacrificed himself to save the world. He didn’t seem much like her type. The matching names on their wrists told another story. 

“What do you want to do?” Nick asked. 

She needed time, she didn’t like being blind. “I go by a different name and not even Clint knows who’s name is there,” she answered. “Don’t say anything.”

 

*****

 

She watched instead, waiting for him to wake up. They had cameras everywhere, she barely left the room. He was definitely smart, he saw through the rise easily. She couldn’t see what happened after he exited the building but she had a start. He reminded her of another man, fast, strong, lethal but she needed more. Steve Rogers was going to be a challenge. 

 

*****

 

The future was nothing like he imagined, expecting something like Bucky had read to him. It was too much, too soon, seventy years gone in a blink. He tried to comfort himself with the familiar, it didn’t work well. The only thing that was the same was him and even that was a stretch, he hadn’t had this body that long. But Bucky’s name was there, faded but still clear and Natalia’s had grown even sharper. Was he supposed to go into the ice, missing the life he would have had with the people he had come to know? Everyone he had cared for was dead or had moved on, had lived to find their soulmates, married and had children. It hurt, finding out he was some myth, someone his friends children and grandchildren read about in textbooks. Everyone but the vague idea of a woman, one he had never met who he was supposed to spend his life with. He wasn’t ready, most of the people he had encountered so far were so different. He supposed he was the different one. He didn’t belong. 

 

*****

 

At first glance he seemed simple, unfailingly polite, almost bland. He didn’t so much as blink when Coulson introduced them, Romanoff different enough she supposed it put him off track. She didn’t worry, he would never suspect. The battle and the stress gave her more information she wanted, he lived up to the myth. Destiny, a higher power, who or whatever chose a person’s soulmate had messed up, this man was not for her. She had done too much to ever deserve this kind of goodness. 

 

*****

 

The expression ‘the more things change, the more they stay the same’ sprang to mind. He couldn’t help the smile, for the first time since he had woken up, he felt normal. Maybe he could belong, he just need a reason to. Sure he had a lot to learn, Fury had promised help if he wanted some but for now he wanted to do this on his own. He been labeled a hero well before now but this strange world had produced more people like him. He wasn’t alone and just maybe he had a purpose again. 

Thor was gone, he wasn’t sure about Howard’s son, Banner either for that matter but he’d have contact with the other two. He didn’t get to spend much time with Barton, not that it was his fault but he was curious about Natasha. He hadn’t met too many woman who he knew he should be terrified by but she was one of them. She had to be Barton’s soulmate, she’d been so worried but they would get over this bump he was sure. She was a hell of a woman jumping off his shield like that.


	2. The Winter Soldier & Age of Ultron

He wasn’t sure if he was right or wrong. He couldn’t help watching the two together whenever they were training or on the same mission. Romanoff and Barton were undeniably close, working seamlessly together. Everyone assumed they were a couple but everyone assumed a lot about him too, most of it wrong. He couldn’t even explain why it mattered, they were always professional, never acting inappropriately like he’d seen many do since he’d come out of the ice. 

He could have just asked he supposed but they were both trained liars, he couldn’t guarantee they’d tell him the truth. They were all part of the Avengers but he wasn’t sure that mattered much. Stark and Thor had been on the news but they’d never been called together as a team since New York. He had to guess it was the wall he felt coming from Natasha, the one he could never seem to overcome. He worked more with her, Barton was more useful as a sniper and seemed to do a lot of solo missions, disappearing constantly. He wanted a team, even as much as he settled into a new life, he still longed for what he’d had. 

Peggy was still Peggy, a remembrance of what was gone but her noticeable age a stark reminder of how much time had passed. Every time he visited, there was still that pang of what could have been only to see the pictures of her own fulfilled life. Those were the nights he sat down, wrists uncovered looking at two names, one faded like his past and one crisp reminding him he had a future still. The publicity from the battle and learning more of how this world worked, he was still surprised Natalia hadn’t tried to contact him in some way. Too many people seemed to crave their 15 minutes but so far nothing. But a part of him was glad, some attention seeker didn’t appeal to him at all. 

He wasn’t happy but he wasn’t in the same state he’d been in when they first pulled him out. He just couldn’t seem to connect with anyone. 

 

*****

 

She had to tell Clint something, he knew she was acting funny. She wasn’t exactly the most personable woman but he definitely noticed she was keeping Rogers at a distance. He’d assumed it was a crush, thinking it was hilarious. So she’d shut him up, reversing who had the crush on who. He’d let it go, hurting her unintentionally when he thought that was even funnier. Saying she would eat that guy alive might be true, why it hurt all the more. He was probably right. 

It was time to make her soulmate a little less tempting, he needed someone in his life. He’d never go for online dating, she didn’t exactly have a bevy of girlfriends to set him up with. But she could make some suggestions. 

 

*****

 

He liked Sharon. There was something about her that seemed familiar, something he was definitely missing these days. He’d been out of the ice for awhile but he still hadn’t managed to make any real friends. Half of the people he met were standoffish and the rest were a little too in awe of him. He almost missed the days when he was the tiny kid from Brooklyn, ignored unless he picked a fight. Sharon at least treated him like a person. It sure beat the constant stream of women Nat suggested, if it weren’t of the eidetic memory he wouldn’t have a clue who she was talking about half the time. He’d asked her to stop but she insisted on providing names. He couldn’t understand what her reasoning was but Peggy had been right, he didn’t know a thing about women. 

 

*****

 

She thought she was doing a good job at keeping Steve at a distance but the universe had other plans. Nick was dead, SHIELD was treating Steve like he was the enemy and the Winter Soldier tied into all of it. Rogers was either the greatest spy ever, so good he had fooled her completely or he was in so over his head, he was a dead man walking. She knew which one was more likely. So trying to teach the world’s worst liar to blend in while on the run from the most ruthless, efficient and well funded organization was going to a slight challenge. 

He was good at surprising her, she should have expected him to catch on quick. He picked up things easily, she’d seen how fast he caught up with history, fighting techniques and almost everything else. She hadn’t needed to kiss him but there was some part of her that needed to know. There was no guarantee they’d get out of this alive, her usual safety net gone. The moment she sided with him, she made herself just as much of a target. He’d been stiff, a little awkward but the potential was there. She’d always wondered what kind of experience he had, now she knew. 

 

*****

 

He hadn’t been this exhausted in a long time but holding up a building and then running while carrying another person would tax even him. He was pretty sure they were far enough from the search, even he couldn’t hear the choppers anymore. He set her down as gently as possible, there hadn’t been time to do more than check she was still alive. Her injuries seemed minor, she was more dirty than anything else but his brain was nagging at him. Finding out Zola had survived, Hydra was still alive and thriving had distracted him. It was wrong, a complete violation of the tentative trust they’d finally found but he had to know. He removed her wrist guard, confirming what he already suspected since the doctor had said her name. Suddenly, her behaviour made a little more sense. 

 

*****

 

Some people had all the luck. Sam Wilson was some guy Steve had literally met on the street and he was almost perfect. He was completely willing to go up against impossible odds, had the training to do it and all because of a slight case of hero worship. Then there’s having his soulmate still being alive, even if he was one of the most terrifying people on the planet these days. Rogers pulled another impossible win. She was beyond impressed and that’s what scared her the most. 

 

*****

She didn’t visit him but with all that had happened he was starting to understand her better. She wasn’t the kind of person who liked being vulnerable, a soulmate, especially a soulmate like him would make everything more complicated. They were teammates, colleagues or at least they had been. He wasn’t sure what they were now but he understood she wanted space. He had to find Bucky, he could talk to her once things settled. 

 

*****

 

It was strange working together again. They had become a well oiled machine, a far cry from the first time they had fought as a group. It was different having a common purpose but without the urgency of being under attack. What worried her the most was Steve. The fleeting looks, the shy smile ... he hadn’t taken her advice. It was hardly the first time a colleague had become attracted to her but he was different. He didn’t know, he would have said something surely. She had to nip this in the bud and soon. He was honourable, he wouldn’t go after someone who wasn’t available. Tony and Thor were out, Clint would do it but she couldn’t betray Laura, Sam wouldn’t betray Steve so that left her with only one option. 

She treated it like a mission, it was a little too easy to pretend they were the same. 

 

*****

 

It was easy to ignore the change in their dynamic while they searched but once they had the sceptre, he couldn’t ignore it anymore. His soulmate was attracted to someone else, even he could see it. Barton was just a friend, that was obvious now but the way she was with Bruce was different. And he hadn’t missed that she stopped calling him Steve. She had to know, there was no way she had missed the dozens of articles about Steven Grant Rogers. His soulmate didn’t want him and he was going to have to accept that. So he did what any good soulmate should do, he did what would make her happy. He was pretty sure they called it ‘giving the green light’. 

 

*****

 

She didn’t want to remember, she thought she had moved past it. She didn’t want to remember what she had been. Or what she had done. Or what she really was. 

 

*****

 

He knew it was wrong, Peggy was an old woman, she had lived her life. But somehow she was young and beautiful again, they could have that dance. The one he had wanted so badly, before there was a face to the name on his arm. Before she became real. 

But she surprised him again, finding out the truth about her and Barton. She knew his greatest secret, they had to be platonic soulmates. She showed him a side of her he’d never seen before, the side he used to want, maybe still wanted. That dream made him wonder if that was what he still wanted. 

 

*****

 

The kid fucked her up, she could admit that to herself. She needed something, someone. She needed her soulmate but that wasn’t an option. She told Bruce the truth, something almost no one alive knew. She thought they were the same, he would understand. Something Steve Rogers couldn’t possibly understand. 

 

*****

 

He picked them because she was the one he trusted most, despite everything and Barton was the one she trusted. They’d worked well together as a small team before, it should have been easy. The stupid robot of Tony’s was a pain to beat but the kids showed up and changed everything. What he hadn’t expected was for Ultron to take her. 

 

*****

 

So she was dealing with a psychotic robot, her life had never been normal. But he underestimated her. She was used to it. She could work with it any day. She knew Clint would be looking for her, Steve would sanction a rescue. They would come, and Ultron would regret it. 

She’s been happy when Bruce came for her, the team would save the world, that’s why they’d been brought together. She’s been scared after that vision, the memories bringing back the fear she hadn’t felt in a long time but the world was ending, she couldn’t run. Maybe her and Bruce weren’t so alike after all. The monster was who she was drawn to, not the man. She’s been raised to fight, it had become a part of who she was. She couldn’t turn her back on that if she tried. 

 

*****

 

He wasn’t going to lose this fight, what the others did was up to them but he was going to save as many as he could. He took a moment to look at her, he’d been in a situation like this before. There was no winner here but at least this time he was with the woman he cared for. Having her agree meant everything, she was the one for him. He looked over at her, trying to memorize her. He didn’t have a picture to stare at this time, he had the real deal instead. Then Fury showed up. Maybe he would have time to to fix this mess after all. 

 

*****

 

She got Banner in this mess, she needed to get him out of it too. Then he was saving her instead. Saving all of them. And then he was gone. She had tried to protect herself, protecting Steve by proxy. And now she was the one who was hurt. She couldn’t give up but she couldn’t give in either. Then he offered her the job, second in command of the Avengers. They would be partners, leaders, teachers. She couldn’t avoid him now.


End file.
